Foreclosed – Review
Our Rating: 7/10
Foreclosed tells its tale in the old-fashioned comic book style, and it also makes smart transitions between game modes. The game, developed by Antab Studio and published by Merge Games (which had previously released the excellent Cloudpunk ), tells a Cyberpunk narrative through Evan Kapnos, a character who enters the game universe to uncover a conspiracy amidst its obscurity.
Three in one
The story is not one of the most important elements in this game, although it introduces mysteries and leaves much of the context to the player’s imagination. Despite providing the desired level of immersion in the story, the comics serve as more of a transition between the different game modes. You’re in isometric view one moment, trying to solve simple puzzles or locate hidden devices the next, all while sneaking around and hiding in the scenery to avoid being caught. In another, he must move through guarded areas as quietly as possible, relying on his implants for assistance.
Even so, there are still moments of great action in a scheme that recalls Superhot, albeit distantly. It is possible to shoot with homing shots, use a temporary shield, throw enemies to the ground or into the air, and even improve your weapon because Kapnos has implants that help him gain more skills. You can use your hacks, but you risk overcharging and temporarily losing functionality, so keep an eye on your chip meter and don’t overcharge it.
The upgrade procedure in Foreclosed is also straightforward. However, it is effective. You gain experience easily and earn an additional point at each level, which you can use to improve your implant or your only weapon. The total number of upgrades isn’t quite twenty. However, they’re all useful and can be activated by pushing buttons on the controller while aiming. In terms of its three main modes of play, the game is well-balanced. However, it does so in a very straightforward manner. Yes, everything works flawlessly, and it’s a lot of fun. But don’t hold your breath for anything unexpected. This is not a criticism. It’s a warning that the game achieves its primary goal, but that’s all.
Okay, but there could be more
It would have been nice if there had been more interaction with the game. The character interacts with the environment at first, implying that the game will have a lot of this. But then we’re left with only hidden items to find and a few specific objects, aside from the possibility of hacking some objects using directional commands. We really wish there’s more of this feature in the game.
Foreclosed is also a relatively short game. Those that you can finish in a weekend without too much difficulty. Despite the lack of a difficulty setting, it is a simple game to finish, with the focus solely on learning how to deal with each situation.
The game is linear, following the well-known “on rails” style, but there is some interesting scenario freedom. Because, as previously stated, the game’s gameplay is very simple, and we wanted more. More elements could have been added to make the game more interesting, in my opinion. That still looks fantastic, even if it is cel-shaded with pastel tones. It reminded me of games like No More Heroes and, most notably, XIII, in addition to Comix Zone. The style is appropriate for the situation and adds some variety to recent action games.
An interesting cyberpunk adventure
We don’t have many negative things to say about Foreclosed. All you have to do is treat it like a simple game and don’t expect too much from it. Its gameplay is enjoyable, its puzzles, while limited, are enjoyable, and the action sequences are also enjoyable. There is only the impression that the game could have provided more, both in terms of content and history. Of course, the expectation is that thanks to the game’s success, Antab Studio will be able to gather enough information and resources to create a sequel with even more intriguing elements.
